Anna Maria Island Fishing Report July 2, 2025
Just Reel Fishing Charters
Fish early to avoid the heat, boat traffic
Inshore fishing around Anna Maria Island remains quite good despite water temperatures averaging in the mid- to upper-80s.
Fishing early morning tides is producing good action on species such as spotted seatrout and catch-and-release snook. Targeting the trout over deep grass flats produces the best action and you may encounter other species such as ladyfish, jack crevalle, and Spanish mackerel, which adds a nice variety to the bite.
Moving to shallow water on the flats to target catch-and-release snook yields good action as long as the tide is moving and the water temps aren’t too high.
Try fishing first thing in the morning to achieve the best results.
Water temps should be slightly cooler before the sun gets a chance to heat up the flats.
You may find some redfish in the mix if you’re fishing the right spots.
Tarpon fishing is also an option while fishing inshore. Again, early morning tides are a good bet but the evening outgoing tides are where it’s at. Although we are nearing the end of the tarpon season, there are still some good groups of fish hanging around the passes along the beaches.
Stock up with plenty of live crabs and threadfin herring for a bait and be prepared to do some searching but once you find the fish, you should be able to get a bite as these fish aren’t seeing as much pressure as they were during the peak of the season a few weeks ago. Evening, outgoing tides should produce the best action, especially when using live crabs for bait.
Lastly, as we approach the Fourth of July weekend, make sure to pack plenty of patience as the boat traffic out there is going to be obnoxious to say the least.
Watch out for recreational boaters as many are inexperienced leaving it up to you to make sure everyone on your vessel is safe and out of harm’s way. Watch out for high traffic areas and try to fish early to beat the crowds.
On my Just Reel charters I am still seeing limits of spotted seatrout being caught on the daily.
A mix of silver trout, Spanish mackerel, ladyfish and jack crevalle adds a nice mix to the bite.
On many mornings I’m seeing small sandbar sharks and some blacktips invading the trout spots resulting in some exciting action. Clients are reeling in trout that are bitten in half. The small sharks are quite entertaining to catch-and-release after a limit of trout are caught.
Fishing the passes produces action on catch-and-release snook as well as mangrove snapper. I’m even seeing a redfish mixed in every once in a while.
